Fears mount as Zika virus is declared global emergency

The South American nation has been the hardest-hit of all the countries battling the disease.

Brazilian officials have confirmed more than 3,700 cases of microcephaly, a neurological condition linked to Zika that causes babies to be born with undeveloped brains and unusually small heads.

A government campaign poster warns about Zika virus symptoms in the maternity ward in Guatemala on Thursday. (JOSUE DECAVELE/REUTERS)

In a bid to stave off mounting concerns, the International Olympic Committee sent a two-page note to all country committees outlining the latest medical advice concerning Zika.

"All parties are taking action to address this topic, and are following developments closely," the IOC said.

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Kobinger, who helped develop a trial vaccine that was successful in fighting Ebola in West Africa, did not say when the Zika antidote might be widely available.

A sterile female Aedes aegypti mosquito is seen on the forearm of a health technician in a research area to prevent the spread of Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases in Guatemala City. (JOSUE DECAVELE/REUTERS)

Still, the potential for a breakthrough marked a rare dose of good news after a week consumed by ominous warnings about the disease.

The World Health Organization has said that Zika is spreading "explosively" and could infect up to four million people across the Americas.

A total of three New Yorkers — including a pregnant woman — have contracted the disease while traveling abroad, officials said.

A Health Ministry employee fumigates against Aedes Aegypti mosquito, at a home in Caracas on Friday. Venezuela has recorded 4,700 suspected cases of people infected by the Zika virus, which is thought to cause brain damage in babies. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images)

American health officials have conceded that there's been little research on Zika despite it being first identified in 1947.

"This is a brand new virus, so we, prior to this time, have not spent anything on Zika," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Fauci said his researchers are working on two vaccines — but neither is likely to be available within the next few years.

"While these approaches are promising, it is important to understand we will not have a widely available safe and effective Zika vaccine this year and probably not in the next few years, Fauci said."